Didn't want to triple-post, but I did want at least one Hero inbound to start working on the Event. Remember, y'all, the Timers tick down once per day!
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Opinionated nerd for hire.
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Newsroom of the Daily Planet
Metropolis
11:00am Local Time
"--says to me 'I need blood, semen, urine, and stool samples from you'," Steve Lombard continues, nudging me with his elbow as regales me of his latest encounter with the Metropolis Special Crimes Unit. "So I say, 'look, officer, I don't have time to stick around, how 'bout I just leave you a pair of my briefs?'"
This elicits groans from various cubicles. Jenny rolls her eyes, Troupe tries as hard as he can to pretend that Lombard doesn't exist. Jimmy looks up with some recognition.
"Isn't that from a movie?" he asks. "Yeah, that's from--"
"Oh, ha-ha, that is funny," I force a chuckle, trying to spare Lombard the embarrassment-- he's a bit of a blowhard, and his jokes crash more often than they land, but I suppose he's just trying to relate. "That reminds me, did I tell you the one about--"
ZEEE- ZEEE- ZEEE- ZEEE- ZEEE-
"Oof!" I say, putting my hand to my mouth as if to cover a burp.
The others in the room can't hear the ultrasonic signal ringing in my eardrums, but I hear it loud and clear. An emergency signal from the Watchtower, broadcast to all members of the Justice League. While the signal can be picked up by the communicator earpieces all of the members have on them, my enhanced senses hear the signal wave itself directly.
"Whoah, somethin' wrong, Kent?" Lombard asks, only half concerned.
"Just a little....ngggh....indigestion," I say, clutching my stomach and squirming with mock nausea. "One second, if you don't mind."
With just a touch of overacting, I hurry out of the newsroom and towards the men's room. Once I'm out of eyesight, I touch own earpiece to hear the actual message.
PRIORITY ALERT
UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS IN S.T.A.R. LABS, TOKYO
MULTIPLE CIVILIAN FATALITIES
PLEASE RESPOND
The comedy of my upset-stomach routine vanishes, and I feel my brow furrow. Innocent people are already dead, and Heaven knows how many people might still be in danger.
"Everything okay, Smallville?" asks Lois as she follows me out of the newsroom.
"Just a little indigestion," I say, "I think the Japanese takeout we had last night was a bit strong for me."
It would be a fairly easy code to crack, using food to tell her where exactly I'm needed. Thankfully, everyone at the Planet knows Clark Kent has the weakest stomach of anyone they've met, so anything spicier than white bread and skim milk sends him running to the stalls.
Lois nods. "Well, you might want to take care of that before you make a mess. I've still got a deadline to meet, and one of us needs to be free in time to pick up Jon from little league practice."
"Got it, I should be quick," I say with an apologetic smile. "Love you, hon."
I give her a quick kiss, then rather than the men's room, I head to the janitor's closet.....
....and I change into my work clothes.
Seconds later, I'm hurtling through the skies, across the Continental US, across the Pacific Ocean, across the International Date Line as day turns to night on the far side of the planet.
Tokyo, here I come.
(TRAVEL POST; NO PROGRESS MADE TOWARD EVENT
EVENT #1: TROUBLE IN TOKYO
No Twists Today
Target Number: 15
Timer: 4
Shinjuku District
Tokyo, Japan
12:30AM Local Time
Tokyo, Japan
12:30AM Local Time
Even in the dead of night, the streets of Tokyo are a dazzle of neon, a crush of motorists and pedestrians, businessmen and tourists alike seeming to never stop or even slow down. Car horns blare, music thrums from an assortment of bars and night clubs, and advertisements flash across massive LED banners. For all of the wondrous attractions and sights to see throughout Japan's capital, just standing in the heart of Tokyo is a spectacle all of its own.
High above the hustle and bustle, however, shadows flit unnoticed across the night sky, dark-clad figures leaping across rooftops. Each bounding stride propels them far further than humanly possible, but each landing is quiet as a whisper. Advanced optic displays filter through the haze of strobes and neon and light-pollution from below to provide crisp and clear outlines of their surroundings, while active optical camouflage lets them blend in, covering their signatures across most of the electromagnetic spectrum. Ferro-fibrous exoskeletons provide protection against most conventional weapons, while nano-cerrated vibro-blades allow them to cut through titanium like wet paper.
Their equipment is bleeding-edge....
.....but their techniques are ancient.
As the city swarms with ignorant tourists and nameless sararimen below, a dozen cybernetically-enhanced ninja converge on their target: the Tokyo branch of S.T.A.R. Labs. The company has been on the forefront of scientific research and development since its founding, and the Tokyo branch in particular is known for being a technological wonderland. So many projects that could be worth untold fortunes.....or do unspeakable damage to the world at large.
The security systems at S.T.A.R. Labs are formidable to most, but paltry compared to the capabilities of its assailants. With a method that is frightening in both its meticulousness and its speed, firewalls are broken, sensors scrambled, camera feeds set on loops, and wayward security guards cut down. With deathly silence and murderous precision, the ninja make their way through the offices and administrative floors, headed towards R&D.
It is only by sheer chance that one is discovered: a technician who had stayed late to complete work on a minor project, happens to glance out of his cubicle and see a skulking figure clad in high-tech armor. He puts his hand over his mouth to cover up a gasp, but even that noise gives him away. The masked intruder snaps its head to face the terrified technician, who bolts out of the cubicle in a dead run.
The technician makes it only six paces before the ninja is upon him, and only makes a seventh before a blade carves into his back. It doesn't even occur to him to scream, as the man is dead before he even feels it. However, his lifeless body, now propelled only by a few remaining unconscious reflexes, staggers forward a few more steps, just far enough to cross a laser sensor before crumpling to the floor.
While the ninja were indeed thorough in disabling the S.T.A.R. Labs security, there was a secondary security system installed in places like this, by someone just as meticulous as they. Highly sensitive targets, such as the homes of prominent public figures, military installations, or major scientific firms, were often wired with security and alarm systems unbeknownst even to the people who worked there. These alarms did not go off inside the building, or alert the local authorities....
....but elsewhere, in high orbit, an alarm goes off on the Watchtower of the Justice League.
EVENT #1: TROUBLE IN TOKYO
Cybernetic ninjas are raiding the S.T.A.R. Labs facility in Tokyo, Japan
Target Number: 15
Timer: 5
OOC is about to go Live, folks! Before we do, I've created a Dice Roller for the game, and will be using it to generate the first Event. It can be found here.
JUSTICE LEAGUE
WORLD IN CRISIS
Years ago, the world changed in ways no one could have ever imagined. The change came first in Metropolis with the appearance of a man in the sky, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Not long after, a caped crusader arose in Gotham City, a dark-night detective waging a one-man war on crime. This was followed by the arrival of a maiden of might, defeating men and monsters alike with a golden lasso and unbreakable gauntlets. More super-people arose, from the Fastest Man Alive to the King of the Seven Seas. In time, the various heroes and crimefighters would cross paths, forging loose alliances and friendships. These would solidify into a formal alliance: the Justice League, the greatest humanitarian force the world has ever known.
With these new protectors and champions, new threats and dangers arose for them to face. Almost as soon as the term 'super-hero' was coined, their opposite number, the super-villains, began to crawl out of the darkness. Superman would find himself in perpetual conflict against the machinations of Lex Luthor, the brutality of General Zod, the otherworldly weapons of Brainiac. The Batman would wage war against the madness of the Joker, the diabolical mind-games of the Riddler, the shadowy plots of Ra's al Ghul. The Flash would be tested time and time again by the combined villainy of the Rogues, the Green Lantern would battle across the stars with the tyrannical Sinestro, and Aquaman would find his reign of the seas threatened by the treachy of the Ocean Master and the firepower of Black Manta. As the Justice League would come to embody virtue and heroism, the Legion of Doom would strike fear into the hearts of many as personifications of evil.
Years have passed since the first time the people of Metropolis were made to look up in the sky. Since that time, the Justice League has only grown, both in number and in influence. Comprised of thirteen of the world's most capable heroes, and at the center of a larger network of crimefighters and rescuers numbering into the hundreds, the League has done the impossible on innumerable occasions. Thwarting alien invasions, global catastrophes, international crime syndicates, incursions from parallel universes, and omnipotent hostile gods is, as some say, all in a day's work. Still, the work is never done; even at the height of their power and influence, the Justice League is far from unbeatable. Dangers arise at every turn, arch-villains plot in the shadows to strike once again, and innocent lives hang in the balance.
For every hero, there are more than their fair share of villains. For every victory, another challenge arises. For every day saved, another calamity looms to throw the world in crisis.
With these new protectors and champions, new threats and dangers arose for them to face. Almost as soon as the term 'super-hero' was coined, their opposite number, the super-villains, began to crawl out of the darkness. Superman would find himself in perpetual conflict against the machinations of Lex Luthor, the brutality of General Zod, the otherworldly weapons of Brainiac. The Batman would wage war against the madness of the Joker, the diabolical mind-games of the Riddler, the shadowy plots of Ra's al Ghul. The Flash would be tested time and time again by the combined villainy of the Rogues, the Green Lantern would battle across the stars with the tyrannical Sinestro, and Aquaman would find his reign of the seas threatened by the treachy of the Ocean Master and the firepower of Black Manta. As the Justice League would come to embody virtue and heroism, the Legion of Doom would strike fear into the hearts of many as personifications of evil.
Years have passed since the first time the people of Metropolis were made to look up in the sky. Since that time, the Justice League has only grown, both in number and in influence. Comprised of thirteen of the world's most capable heroes, and at the center of a larger network of crimefighters and rescuers numbering into the hundreds, the League has done the impossible on innumerable occasions. Thwarting alien invasions, global catastrophes, international crime syndicates, incursions from parallel universes, and omnipotent hostile gods is, as some say, all in a day's work. Still, the work is never done; even at the height of their power and influence, the Justice League is far from unbeatable. Dangers arise at every turn, arch-villains plot in the shadows to strike once again, and innocent lives hang in the balance.
For every hero, there are more than their fair share of villains. For every victory, another challenge arises. For every day saved, another calamity looms to throw the world in crisis.
GameMaster: AndyC
Assistant GM: Master Bruce
Discord Chat: (Coming Soon)
R O S T E R:
The Atom
MST3K4Ever
Batman
Master Bruce
The Flash
Peter Porker
Superman
Andy C
MST3K4Ever
Batman
Master Bruce
The Flash
Peter Porker
Superman
Andy C
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A LA L I A STHE ATOMRHIANNON PALMER ♦ PROFESSOR ♦ GOTHAM CITY UNIVERSITY ♦ JUSTICE LEAGUEC H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:"If good things come in small packages I'm the best there is."Rhiannon Palmer was born and raised in Metropolis. Her father Thomas was the QB for the Metropolis Stallions, a four time Super Bowl Champion and four time league MVP while her mother Alice was an author. In Metropolis the family was royalty and life was a sweet as it could get for Rhiannon. However Rhiannon hated the limelight and didn't like that people wanted to get to know her because of who her family was and not who she was. Although she shunned the limelight and longed for privacy Rhiannon loved her parents and had a good home life.
When she graduated high-school Rhiannon went to Gotham State University so she could make her name on her terms. Rhiannon graduated with her PHD in molecular biology and was hired by the CDC and was sent to work their facility in Central City. Rhiannon was one of the brightest and best scientists in the CDC, and she loved what she did until one day changed everything.
A meteorite pulsating with unknown and unparalleled energy crashed outside of Central City and the CDC was called to investigate. Rhiannon was the lead investigator and she ordered the meteorite to be taken to their facility. Once it arrived the meteorite was placed in a secured room under the highest security protocols for testing. Rhiannon carried the meteorite into the testing chamber. As they were getting ready to run their tests there was a power surge that managed to knock the security measures off line which meant the protective shielding was starting to collapse as well. Unfortunately the door closed and locked trapping Rhiannon in the room with the meteorite and when the protective shielding collapsed it exposed her to the full energy for over five minutes. Even in her isolation suit there was no promises that Rhiannon wasn't going to be affected somehow. The crew managed to finally retrieve the unconscious Rhiannon and get her to the isolation ward.
After two weeks in isolation and a seemingly endless array of tests being run it was determined that Rhiannon was unaffected, but she knew something was wrong with her. While she was on medical leave Rhiannon was at her apartment cleaning up when she noticed an earring had fallen into a vent. Rhiannon concentrated on trying to reach the earring, and then suddenly she noticed the earring was getting closer and bigger. The next thing Rhiannon knew the earring was the size of a mountain. Rhiannon at first was terrified to find that she had shrunk and was wondering if it was permanent. Rhiannon concentrated and returned to normal size. She went down to the CDC and ran some more in-depth tests in herself. Rhiannon discovered that the energy from the meteorite had mutated her pituitary gland. It was a gradual process and on such a small scale that the original tests missed it. Rhiannon discovered through her testing that she had the ability to shrink down to microscopic size, and the ability to shift her weight so even at (for example) six inches tall she can have weight and strength as though she were her normal size. Can also shift her weight so that she can float on air currents and travel along cell-phone signals.
Rhiannon kept this discovery to herself but knew she had been given these powers for a reason and decided it was time to use them in the fight for justice. She stayed many late nights at the CDC "borrowing" certain materials to make her costume. Rhiannon decided to leave the CDC because she didn't want to stay too much longer in case questions would be raised.
Rhiannon decided to move to Gotham where she is currently a Professor at Gotham City University. She has a name picked out for her crime fighting alter-ego; "The Atom."C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:Out of all the characters I have ever played this one is my favorite. I know this character better than any other character I've ever played in all my years. I like that with this one I can have her take out a team of thugs, and then the next minute Rhiannon realizes that she is standing in a wad of gum and knows that it'll take her a good ten minutes to get out of it. I want to people to realize that while her powers may not seem imposing she makes tremendous use of them, and she is an effective crime fighter.C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:1) Her parents live in Metropolis and her father is dying from cancer. 2) She was pregnant while in college, but lost the baby when she was in a car accident 2 months away from delivery.S A M P L E P O S T:P O S T C A T A L O G:A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.
Apologies for the delay! The Atom is APPROVED!
Planning for IC to go up on Monday.
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
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S U P E R M A N
Clark Joseph Kent/Kal-El of Krypton ♦ Reporter, Daily Planet ♦ Metropolis, Delaware, USA ♦ Justice League
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"By myself, sure, I can do a lot. Together, though? We can do anything."
By now, most people in the world know the basic story of the Man of Steel and where he came from. On the doomed planet of Krypton, the brilliant scientists Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van placed their infant son Kal into an experimental life-pod, and with him went the last desperate hopes of their world. The pod would land somewhere on the planet Earth-- most likely somewhere in the Midwestern United States-- where a kindly couple (who has remained safely anonymous) raised him to do right by others and use his phenomenal gifts responsibly. Kal would grow up to become Superman, champion of the oppressed and fighter for Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
In the years that he has patrolled the skies over Metropolis, Superman has toppled crime lords, foiled invasions from beyond the stars, outwitted malevolent tricksters from higher dimensions, even died and returned to life. He has grown a small family of proteges, including his cousin Kara who once protected National City as Supergirl, his half-human clone who fights crime as Superboy, the genius inventor John Henry Irons who defends against high-tech threats as Steel, and even a super-powered dog he affectionately calls Krypto. Superman has experienced soaring triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies, and he has never faltered in the line of duty, cementing his place as the standard by which all other heroes are measured.
That is the story the world knows, and it happens to be the truth, but not the whole truth. Only a scant handful know that Clark Kent spent most of his childhood and teenage years struggling to fit in, that the idyllic rural town of Smallville, Kansas, never seemed to have a place for him. Or that Clark was very nearly married right out of high school, or that he spent the better part of a decade wandering the world under dozens of aliases, or that he would spend most of his professional career fighting tooth-and-claw for bylines with a rival reporter who would in time become the great love of his life. Even fewer know how hard he took the death of his adopted father, how the loss of his cousin haunts him, how many nights he has woken in a cold sweat thinking of his own demise at the hands of the monster Doomsday. While the whole world watched his funeral, only the closest of his friends and family were there for his wedding to Lois Lane, and only two other members of the Justice League know about Lois and Clark's son Jon, who has begun to develop abilities of his own.
As a new chapter in the life of the Man of Tomorrow begins, Clark faces not just the threats of disasters and super-powered criminals, but the pressures of leadership, the challenges of fatherhood, and the simple strain of getting older. In a world now full of costumed heroes and villains, it gets more and more difficult for him to keep up, and it may be impossible for Superman to stay on top for much longer. Still, Clark has determined to do what he was always done: clench his teeth, ball up his fists, and make the impossible happen.
In the years that he has patrolled the skies over Metropolis, Superman has toppled crime lords, foiled invasions from beyond the stars, outwitted malevolent tricksters from higher dimensions, even died and returned to life. He has grown a small family of proteges, including his cousin Kara who once protected National City as Supergirl, his half-human clone who fights crime as Superboy, the genius inventor John Henry Irons who defends against high-tech threats as Steel, and even a super-powered dog he affectionately calls Krypto. Superman has experienced soaring triumphs and heartbreaking tragedies, and he has never faltered in the line of duty, cementing his place as the standard by which all other heroes are measured.
That is the story the world knows, and it happens to be the truth, but not the whole truth. Only a scant handful know that Clark Kent spent most of his childhood and teenage years struggling to fit in, that the idyllic rural town of Smallville, Kansas, never seemed to have a place for him. Or that Clark was very nearly married right out of high school, or that he spent the better part of a decade wandering the world under dozens of aliases, or that he would spend most of his professional career fighting tooth-and-claw for bylines with a rival reporter who would in time become the great love of his life. Even fewer know how hard he took the death of his adopted father, how the loss of his cousin haunts him, how many nights he has woken in a cold sweat thinking of his own demise at the hands of the monster Doomsday. While the whole world watched his funeral, only the closest of his friends and family were there for his wedding to Lois Lane, and only two other members of the Justice League know about Lois and Clark's son Jon, who has begun to develop abilities of his own.
As a new chapter in the life of the Man of Tomorrow begins, Clark faces not just the threats of disasters and super-powered criminals, but the pressures of leadership, the challenges of fatherhood, and the simple strain of getting older. In a world now full of costumed heroes and villains, it gets more and more difficult for him to keep up, and it may be impossible for Superman to stay on top for much longer. Still, Clark has determined to do what he was always done: clench his teeth, ball up his fists, and make the impossible happen.
C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
I want this to be a very straightforward, back-to-basics approach to Superman. While putting him later in life will hopefully make for some interesting character moments in down-time scenes and when bantering with other heroes, the goal in action is to get back to the core of the character and what he does best: action-adventure heroics. Save the day, fight bad guys, and make people feel better as you do it.
I want to show Clark at the top of his game, with action that is intense and exciting to read, clever uses of his considerable powers, and interactions with the other heroes that are fun to play out. He may not have the exuberance of youth anymore, but with age has come experience, discipline, and wisdom learned the hard way. This is as close to a quintessential Superman as I believe I'm capable of writing.
I want to show Clark at the top of his game, with action that is intense and exciting to read, clever uses of his considerable powers, and interactions with the other heroes that are fun to play out. He may not have the exuberance of youth anymore, but with age has come experience, discipline, and wisdom learned the hard way. This is as close to a quintessential Superman as I believe I'm capable of writing.
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
Clark has been active long enough that he has encountered most if not all of his more notorious villains multiple times, and while his secret identity is hardly common knowledge, there are a relative handful who have sussed it out-- including Lex Luthor.
Kryptonite was successfully synthesized a few years ago in LexCorp labs and then distributed among criminal syndicates and rogue nations by the Legion of Doom, though the synthetic "K-2" is significantly less potent than pure Kryptonite, which is still exceedingly rare.
Kara Zor-El was Supergirl for about three years, before she died heroically in a "Crisis" event that threatened the universe. Her death haunts Clark in much the same way that the loss of Jason Todd haunts Bruce, and is why he is not only uncomfortable with Conner's career as Superboy, but reluctant to let anyone know about Jon's existence, let alone his powers.
Kryptonite was successfully synthesized a few years ago in LexCorp labs and then distributed among criminal syndicates and rogue nations by the Legion of Doom, though the synthetic "K-2" is significantly less potent than pure Kryptonite, which is still exceedingly rare.
Kara Zor-El was Supergirl for about three years, before she died heroically in a "Crisis" event that threatened the universe. Her death haunts Clark in much the same way that the loss of Jason Todd haunts Bruce, and is why he is not only uncomfortable with Conner's career as Superboy, but reluctant to let anyone know about Jon's existence, let alone his powers.
S A M P L E P O S T:
P O S T C A T A L O G:
A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.
"--indicates that none of the hostages have been killed, however the masked terrorists seem to be--"
"--eyewitnesses report seeing mysterious unidentified aircraft over the--"
"--possible sightings of unknown men in masks, possibly associated with the terrorists, or--"
"Friend Rachel, this is horrible! We must take the action and head toward Gotham City!"
"Gotham City's on the other side of the country," I say. "How fast can you fly?"
"At my greatest speed, I can travel nearly twice the speed of sound itself."
"Hmmm, that's....." I try to think of how long it would take in my head, but I was never great at math, so I instead look it up on the laptop Mr. Abel loaned me. "Ah. Even if you left right now, it would take over an hour. Whatever's happening there would be long over by then."
After my....episode where I either had an extraordinarily vivid hallucination or discovered I'm effectively the Anti-Christ, I had tried to bury my nose in research, find more leads about Sebastian Blood and his cult, about the monstrous creature that said my name and claimed to be my father. Mr. Abel had loaned me an old laptop-- which struck me as weird that he even had one, considering how old-fashioned his sensibilities are-- and I started going down various occultist rabbit-holes looking for anything that matched up.
Just as I felt we were making real progress, I got a news alert of some crazy situation happening in Gotham City. Kory and I have been watching the live stream. Rather, I've been watching; Kory has been flying around the room on the verge of a nervous fit.
"But there are innocents in danger!" Kory protests. "Surely it cannot be allowed to--"
"Look, I don't like it either," I cut in, "But even with your space-powers and my magic, there's only so much we can do. Besides, rushing out into the open at the first sign of trouble would be advertising our location to the people who are after us."
"You would sacrifice innocent lives to maintain your secret?" she asks, indignant.
"No, that's not what I---...I mean, it's complicated," I say with a sigh. "You know how to use your powers, I don't. I'm only just now getting my head around the idea that all of this stuff is real, let alone how to make any of it work. Even if I don't get grabbed by HIVE or the Church of Blood and taken away to be made into a weapon, there's a chance that I'll end up doing more harm than good if I rush in not knowing what I'm doing. I need.....practice."
The live stream of the hostage situation in Gotham plays out on the laptop screen, and I shake my head.
"And anyway, all of that's too far away for us to be able to do anything about it," I say. "Maybe if there was some crazy event like that happening somewhere on the West Coast..."
"Then we would rush to help!" Kory says with righteous confidence.
"....yeah, probably," I nod before closing the laptop and getting up from the bed. "If something like that ever happens, I mean. Anyway, I'm gonna make some tea; it should help calm things down after all this excitement."
I take a step or two toward the kitchenette, then as I look toward the kettle and the drawer where I keep the teabags, I realize I'm already at the counter. I floated across the remaining distance, like Kory does all the time. The stove is already turned on, the water is already running, and the kettle is already in my hand.
Without even thinking about it, I'm starting to just 'magic' my way around the apartment. Sure, it's harmless enough doing something small like making tea, but what if I start doing it in public? What if I can't stop?
....what if I don't want to stop?
"You seem to be developing control of your abilities already," Kory remarks. "This is good news, yes?"
The small blue flame on the stove suddenly roars, scorching a black mark on the ceiling, before I glare at it and it shrinks back to normal.
"Maybe," I answer, filling the kettle with water and putting it on the fire, "maybe not. From what I've been able to read, it's an extension of something called the Soul Self, a manifestation of your life force, your memories, and your state of mind. Everyone has one, but most people can't project theirs into the physical world. Apparently, though, I'm not most people."
"This is good fortune, then!"
"Yeah, lucky me," I say bitterly, as the stove starts to flare up again and I will it back down. "Between what I've read and what I've seen in my, erm, visions....I'm only half human. The other half is, well....something else. Something worse. The thing I saw in my last vision, the Children of Azarath don't even speak its name, but Sebastian Blood and his cult, they called it 'Trigon.' It's not of this plane, and not from Azarath. It's a....."
I roll my eyes at how silly it sounds in my head, then I say it out loud.
"....it's one of the lords of Hell." Saying it out loud doesn't make it sound any less ridiculous. "It wants me to be its vessel on Earth, so it can destroy the world. And apparently, it's my father."
Kory nods, I assume processing it and trying to relate to it. "On Tamaran, the Priestesses of X'haal warned of the Troq, the Nothing, nihilistic entities that preyed upon negativity and would use the vulnerable as vessels in the physical world. If they were not stopped, they would render all unto the void. It was believed they could be driven away by an overwhelming abundance of love."
As she floats toward me, I raise a skeptical eyebrow. "Is that what you're suggesting? That I fight a lord of Hell with the 'Power of Love?'"
"Oh no," she shakes her head. "The Troq were very real, and could only be defeated by incinerating them with concentrated volleys of Star-Bolts. Having an abundance of love in one's heart, however, was vital for the Priestesses to fight together and keep each other alive. It also provided resistance to the Troq's psychic attacks, and allowed for rather exuberant celebrations upon each victory. Since the days of our victory over the Troq, Tamaranians are raised to be masterful warriors and lovers alike, for only through finding and fostering true love do we find the strength to fight."
Her eyes meet mine, and I see a fire in them like the light of a sun. During my freak-out, it was Kory who had brought me out of it, holding me and giving me the inner strength to force Trigon out. Before that, she had driven away my nightmares with, in her words, 'an application of the snuggles.' Every time I have come close to losing it, to letting the darkness overcome me, she has been there to help me with support and...
I scoff and turn away, turning my attention back to the kettle, which at this point is near boiling.
"Well, either way, I doubt that's going to be something I can manage," I say, wiping away sweat from my brow, as it's gotten unexpectedly hot in here all of a sudden. "The only person I've ever had any sort of 'abundance of love' for was my Mom, and that....didn't end well. And anyway, that's not the same thing as what I'm dealing with. This isn't Tamaran, and I'm not some warrior-priestess. You might be a master-fighter and master-lover and all that, and that's all well and good. But I'm not. I can't fight off demons and mercenaries and whatever else with the 'power of love.' I don't know how."
Kory grabs me by the shoulder and turns me back around to face her. Her hand moves down my arm to take my own hand.
"I can show you," she says, as the tea kettle whistles.
".....wha--"
"How to fight, I mean!" she says with a bright smile. "I was trained since childhood by the Warlords of Okaara in all manner of combat--it would be my honor to train you in the ways of glorious and honorable battle!"
I stand there and stare for a moment, then I blink as my thoughts return to me.
"....oh! Um, yeah, that....that would be great," I say, finding it strangely hard to catch my breath. "Yeah, let's....let's learn how to fight. If we're going to be taking on HIVE and the cultists and the rest, I should know how to handle myself."
"Wondrous!" she exclaims, doing a loop-de-loop in the air to celebrate. "Ah! But we must remain covert about it so as not to reveal ourselves. Perhaps we can use Friend Alex's simulated combat game, this LARP of his, to disguise our training as the mere play of Dorks?"
"....that....sounds ridiculous," I say, "but at the moment, I really don't have a better idea. Anyway, the, erm, the tea's almost ready."
I pour the hot water into a pair of cups, steep the teabags in them, and hand one to Kory.
"It's chamomile and peppermint," I tell her, "It's good for calming frazzled nerves."
"But my nerves do not have the frazzling."
"Mine do," I say as I sip mine and let the cool, refreshing flavor and aroma work its magic.
Kory takes a deep breath to take in the smell of hers, then eagerly drinks it down.
"Mmmmm!" she exclaims. "That was the worst thing I have ever tasted."
I stare at her for a moment, and then for the first time in as long as I can remember, I laugh out loud.
Sorry, I got caught up in a bunch of real-life craziness, and by the time it cleared up, I had shifted gears to other stuff. I may bring this back under the Advanced Section, but I sadly don't have the inclination anymore to run it as a tabletop.
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